Glass-tube-contracting machine.



PATENTED' 001'. 20, 1903.

.W. :N. :PAGKER.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 22, 1902.

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I GLASS TUBE GONTRAOTING MACHINE.

Io nbnfiLf NITED STATES Patented October 20, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLARD N. PAOKEE, 0E SHELBY, OHIO, ASSIGNOR To E. L. THURSTON, TRUSTEE,0E CLEVELAND, OHIO.

GLASS-TUBE-CONTRACTING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 741,823, dated October20, 1903.

Application filed December 22, 1902. $erial No. 136,105. memorial.)

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLARD N. PAoKER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Shelby, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Glass-Tube-OontractingMachines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

In manufacturing incandescent lamps a glass tube is attached to eachbulb and through this tube the air is exhausted. Before these tubes areattached it is desirable to contract them in the plane where they arefinally to be parted and sealed. The machine constituting the presentinvention is for the purpose of producing quickly and economically thisinitial contraction of the glass tube without danger that the tubes maybe bent during the operation, whereby the tubes will be adapted to beused for the purpose stated.

The invention may be summarized as consisting of the construction andcombination of parts hereinafter described, and pointed out definitelyin the claims.

In the drawing the figure is an elevation, partly in section, of amachine embodying my invention.

In the machine shown there is a fixed standard A, on which a blowpipe His supported and through which the gas and air ports are formed. The hub17 of the spiderlike frame 13 is rotatably mounted on this standard.Near the end of each of the arms 1) of this frame there is a verticalsleeve 11 in which the stem (1 of the tube-holder D is rotativelymounted. On the lower end of this stem a friction-wheel d is secured,and when the frame is in a proper position relative to theblowpipe-flame this wheel engages with a rotating driving-wheel F, andthereby the holder is rotated upon a vertical axis. I

The holder D has a hole (i extending axially downward from its top asuitable distance, and at the bottom of this hole is a cross-slot d. Theupper end of the holder is provided with two diametrically-opposed slotsd through which project the upper ends of the inwardly-pressing springsE E,

whose lower ends are attached to the holder. Between the top of theholder and the lower end of the hole therein the holder is cut away asmuch as possible, leaving only enough of the metal, as at d forsupporting the upper part of the holder.

To use the machine, a glass tube G is passed from the top down into thehole in the holder until the lower end of the tube is at the requireddistance above the lower end of said hole, and the tube will be held inthis position by the springs E. The glass tube will be placed in theholder, as stated, when the holder is out of the range of theblowpipe-fiames-as, for example, the holder at the right side of thedrawing. The frame B is then swung until said glass tube is within therange of the blowpipe-fiames, at which time, by reason of the engagementbetween the wheels F and d, the holder will be rotated. The flamessoften the glass until it is so weak that the tube below the weakenedand softened portion moves downward by reason of its own weight to thebottom of the hole 01 This causes the softened part of the glass tocontract, as shown, and the walls of this contracted portion aresomewhat reduced in thickness. The operator may see through thecross-slot (1 when the lower end of the tube has reached the bottom ofthe hole, and he knows then that the operation is completed, and heshould immediately swing the spider so as to carry the tube out of therange of the blowpipe-flame. The lower part of the hole in the holderhas guided the lower part of the glass tube G and preserved itsalinement with the upper part. This tube quickly cools when removed fromthe influence of the flame, and by the time the frame has beensoswung asto carry it around to the operator it may be removed.

extending from its top downward a definite distance whereby the bottomof said hole serves as a stop tolimitthe elongation of the tube beingoperated upon, said holder being cut away for a suitable distancebetween the top and bottom of said hole, means for holding the upper endof a glass tube in said hole, and a blowpipe for heating apart of theglass tube exposed by the cut-away part of said holder, substantially asspecified.

2. The combination of a tube-holder rotatable upon a vertical axis andhaving slots in its upper end and a Vertical hole extending from its topdownward, a part of said holder between the top and bottom of said holebeing cut away, with two inwardlypressing springs secured to the holderand extending through said slots, and means for directingablowpipe-fiame upon that part of aglass tube, being held by springs,which is exposed through said cut-away part of the holder, substantiallyas specified.

3. The combination of a frame adapted to be turned about a verticalaxis, a holder rotatably mounted on said frame upon a vertical axis andhaving an axial hole extending from its top downward and a transverseslot d Whose lower edge is substantially coincident with the bottom ofsaid hole, and being cut away between the top and bottom of said hole,means carried by said holder for grasping the upper part of a glass tubewhich extends down through said hole, and means for directing ablowpipe-flame against that part of said glass tube which is exposedthrough the cut-away portion of the holder, substantially as described.

4.. The combination of a frame adapted to be turned about a verticalaxis and having at opposite sides of its axis a bearing-sleeve, a holdersupported by and rotatably mounted in each of said bearing-sleeves, andhaving on its projecting lower end a friction drivingwheel, saidholder-having a central longitudinal hole extending from its topdownward and being cut away between the ends of said hole, means forgrasping the upper part of a glass tube in the hole of said holder, afixed blowpipe operating in the plane where said holder is cut away, anda rotating frictionwheel with which the friction-wheel on the holderwill engage when the holder is in the proper position relative to saidblowpipe-frame, substantially as described.

Y In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presenceoftwo witnesses.

. WILLARD N. PACKER.

Witnesses:

E. B. GILCHRIST, B. W. BROOKETT.

